This invention relates to devices useful in supporting and displaying decorative lighting, and more particularly, to a device adapted to support a decorative light, such as a Christmas light. One aspect of the invention relates to a plastic or metal bracket that will support a decorative light and can be installed without screws, nails or other hardware which may pierce or otherwise impair gutters or roofs. Another aspect of invention relates to a mounting bracket or a device for decorative lighting and is in itself supported by frictional engagement with a support structure such as gutters or roof shingles and provides mechanism by which the decorative light may be positioned at different angles with respect to a roof or gutter or other support surface. Another aspect of the invention is a bulb holder for use with the mounting bracket which accommodates bulbs of various sizes.
The use of decorative lighting for both commercial purposes and for residential purposes is well known. A major portion of exterior decorative lighting is seasonal in nature, such lighting being installed primarily during holiday periods and then removed after the holiday period has passed. Decorative lights are typically purchased as "strings" in which a large number of individual sockets are wired together, and bulbs, frequently colored, are inserted into each socket. Plugs are provided at one or both ends for connection to other light strings or to an electrical power source. Typically, at the Christmas season, there are bulbs which are of various sizes, for instance, mini bulbs, C-7 bulbs and C-9 bulbs. The C-9 bulbs are larger than the C-7 bulbs which are larger than the mini bulbs.
The present invention is directed to deficiencies that have been encountered with devices previously used to install and display exterior decorative lighting including the necessity of using a variety of bulb holders to accommodate bulbs of various sizes. In the past, exterior decorative lights have sometimes been installed by stapling light strings onto the eaves of fascia of a building. Stapling often leaves unattractive holes in the support surface when the decorative lighting and staples are removed. Moreover, the use of staples or the like also runs the risk of damaging the exterior coating on the power cords thereby possibly rendering the strings unsafe. Threaded hooks have also been used to support light strings in the past, but the hooks themselves are difficult to install, and did not secure the bulb sockets in a preferred orientation. One light bracket which does not mutilate or otherwise impair roofs, gutters or facia is disclosed Gary U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,977 issued Jul. 25, 1989. The device there disclosed installs between shingles on a roof and works for its intended purpose but lacks the versatility of the subject invention. Another device particularly adapted for gutters is illustrated in Adams U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,192, issued Aug. 25, 1992.